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We have completed our third month of contemplation in Mercy Global Presence – People and Deep Social Change. The theologian, Julie Upton, reminded us, “Agency means nurturing the understanding that we can do something about these global concerns; access means that we become educated on their root causes; action means doing something about them within our sphere of influence.” The artist, Mary White, through painting, blog and photograph, challenged us, “The open space in the painting, for me, is the doorway in which all can continue to enter, be informed and experience transformational emergence.“ Susan Brown, who ministers within a hostel, lives the reality of Catherine McAuley’s approach, “Catherine McAuley knew all too well that healing and growth come from a relationship of respect and mutuality as much as from practical assistance. She did not ‘do unto’ the needy: she loved and thereby empowered them.” Angela Reed emphasized the same theme when she introduced us to Leilani Farha, the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, who has initiated a worldwide movement termed ‘The Shift” whose primary goals are to: 1) provide a platform to unite and amplify support for the right to housing; 2) change the conversation; and 3) encourage government engagement and action.

Ailish O'Brien reminds us about the power of education to transform society by bringing us distinct voices from the Solidarity Teacher Training College in South Sudan: a parent (Christine Baptist), two students (Josephine Kuol and John Dau), and a graduate from the school (Tereza Peter now a teacher). Carmel McDonough prepared the prayer reflection – a collage of Images, music, biblical quotations, Laudato Si’, Buddhist philosophy and young women leaders; she introduced us to the Aboriginal word, Dadirri, a process of deep and respectful listening to build community. The good reading list gave us wisdoms centered on a changing world, social media, activism, effective altruism, statistics, tribalism, and vision for the future.

Now we begin our fourth month, circling back in some ways to our first month with its focus on cosmology and the shifting grounds of our theology, spirituality and ministry. This month’s theme is incarnation – the Incarnate God in the Cosmos and in the Person of Jesus. In the Gospel of Matthew, when we first are made aware of the coming of Jesus, we are given his name Emmanuel, God-with-us. This name flows directly from the Old Testament which celebrates an indwelling God whom the Rabbis call Shekinah. Matthew’s emphasis on the indwelling of this God-person Jesus is echoed in the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. . . And the Word became flesh and lived among us” (Jn 1:1-2, 14)...

Spanish translation using DeepL Translator. Traducción al español con DeepL Translator

Elizabeth Davis rsm is the Congregation Leader of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland.
She is the Mercy Leaders' representive on the Mercy Global Presence Guiding Group.

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